Hiring the right general contractor can make or break your construction project.
If you’re in the market for a general contractor, that means you probably have a lot on your mind. Starting a construction project of any magnitude is a daunting task. From planning, to budgeting, to executing, there’s a lot to consider. Hiring the right general contractor is a huge step in alleviating the stress of your construction project, so we put together a simple guide of what to know when choosing yours before making the deal official.
- Licenses and insurance: Ensure that your general contractor has all (and we mean all) of the appropriate certifications to work on your construction project. This should include liability, worker’s compensation, and vehicle insurances, as well as professional and business licenses.
- Contact information: Gather as much of it as you can. Business address; cell, work, and maybe even home phone numbers; email; business license information; and vehicle plate information. If anything goes wrong at any point during your construction project, it’s crucial to be able to contact your contractor.
- Ask about project management: In addition to making sure that there won’t be any issues with any personal guidelines you may need, it’s also a good idea to know things like: Who will be working the job? Will there be a supervisor or lead on site? What’s the timing of this project? All of these are important things to know before signing on.
- Background check: Take the time to ask the general contractor if they have any past experience with a similar construction project, what other projects the company has worked on, and other more general information about the business. It’s also not a bad idea to get some recent references and call them for their opinion on the work the contractor did.
These are some of the top tips that we came up with for hiring a general contractor, but the list is by no means exclusive. Ask any other questions you may have, and a good contractor will be happy to answer and questions and concerns. You can never be too careful when choosing someone to the the reigns on your construction project.
About Mahogany, Inc.
Mahogany, Inc. is a general contractor specializing in quality construction for projects across a wide range of industries. Located in southwest Baltimore, we employ 100 persons, and are one of the largest minority owned businesses in the state of Maryland. Make sure to check back with our blog every week for the latest industry related information. For more information, you can contact us at 410.727.0334, or email us. We look forward to hearing from you!